Lens
How we look at a specific question, a metric, a method, a category of work, and what that lens reveals. Lens pieces are less argumentative than Worldview pieces and more practical. They’re the kind of thing you’d read if you have a specific question ("how should I think about CAC?" or "what does 'AI in marketing' actually mean for a mid-market company?") and want a clear, opinionated answer. If you’re here because you have a specific question, start in this lane.
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Good Product, Wrong Story: Building a Brand That Matches What You Make
There's a particular kind of frustration that keeps product-driven founders up at night. You've built something genuinely good, quality materials, real craftsmanship,…
Award-Winning Website Redesign: Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
For 35 years, the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition has been doing some of the most important work in the St. Louis…
Why AI Search Optimization Will Punish Companies That Aren’t Easy to Love
The rules of visibility are changing. Technical SEO got you here, but it won't keep you here. For twenty years, search engine…
You Don’t Have The Marketing Problem You Think You Do
There’s a certain kind of marketing that looks amazing on paper. The rebrand with the trendy color palette. The website with the…
The Chili’s Comeback: A Masterclass in Prioritizing Customer Experience
How Operational Discipline Became the Ultimate CX Strategy In an era where many casual dining chains are struggling, Chili’s has defied the…
[Opinion Piece] BMW: Horrible Design By Design
Author’s Preface As someone who hosts many branding workshops, I’m always reminding clients that not everyone is a potential customer, and that…
The Future of Brand Loyalty: Experience as Strategy
Brand loyalty used to be about preference. Today, it’s about proof. People no longer stay loyal because they like your logo or…
Marketing Systems vs. Campaigns: Why One Builds Legacy and the Other Burns Out
Most marketing is designed to make noise. But the best marketing quietly changes how a business works. It’s the difference between a…
Why Defining Your Ideal Customer Profile Unlocks Every Other Growth Metric
Every business wants growth. More leads, more conversions, more repeat customers. But the companies that actually get there all start in the…
Why Customer Journey Mapping Is the Backbone of Modern Marketing and CX
Marketing used to be thought of as a loudspeaker: a way to blast a message and hope it reached the right ears.…
Why Your Acquisition Strategy is Broken
For years, growth playbooks have told the same story: buy more reach, spend more on ads, and outbid competitors for attention. But…
Why Customer Lifetime Value is the Metric That Moves Everything Else
In marketing, it’s tempting to chase surface-level wins: clicks, impressions, conversions, even quarterly revenue. But the businesses that endure don’t obsess over…